Turkey's bridge, highway tolls revenue $367M in 2018

By Tuba Sahin </p> <p>ANKARA (AA) – Turkey earned nearly 1.8 billion liras ($367 million) in tolls collected at its two bridges on the Istanbul Strait as well as toll roads last year, Turkish Highways Directorate data showed.</p> <p>The figure was up 23 percent year-on-year in 2018 when measured in lira, according to data compiled by Anadolu Agency on Wednesday.</p> <p>The July 15 Martyrs' Bridge and the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, both spanning the Bosphorus and connecting Europe and Asia, together yielded 464.3 million liras ($97.8 million), while toll highways throughout Turkey reaped more than 1.3 billion liras ($272 million) in 2018.</p> <p>More than 463 million vehicles went through the toll booths last year, according to data.</p> <p>Drivers in Turkey pay 8.75 Turkish liras ($1.79) for bridge tolls, with higher fees for vehicles with more than two axles.</p> <p>In 2017, 458 million vehicles used Turkey’s toll bridges and roads, paying nearly 1.5 billion liras ($387 million). On the Istanbul Strait, the bridge toll at that time was 7 liras ($1.92) per passage.